(BEDFORD) - North Lawrence students will pay slightly more for lunch during the 2013-14 school year.

Mike Lewis of the Times-Mail reports that the school board members unanimously approved the 10-cent increase Thursday.

Assistant Superintendent Gary Conner told board members the school system was in the same situation as a year ago.

Under the law, school corporations must increase their paid lunch prices until the school's average paid lunch price is the same as the free reimbursement rate minus the paid reimbursement rate. For North Lawrence schools, that formula would mean a target of $2.59 (up from $2.51 a year ago).

But the law also allows corporation to phase in the cost over time. The minimum allowable price hike is 10 cents per year. NL schools are proceeding with that option, as they did a year ago. So a student lunch next school year will cost $2.30, up from $2.20 this year.

"We're trying to minimize the impact for families," Conner told board members. "It's still a good price for kids to eat every day."